About Cacao Mae

• Company status: Limited.
• Year of registration: 2015.
• Number of employees: 12, 6 men and 6 women.
• Business sector: Agribusiness.

María Elsy Abreu – Manager

Maria Elsy and her brother José Alejandro Abreu co-founded the Dominican brand Cacao Mae. Maria Elsy is also Marketing Director of the company Recursos Globales SRL. She holds a degree in Marketing from the Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra, Dominican Republic, and has participated in trainings on export management, digital transformation, strategic management of social networks and e-commerce workshops among others. She has participated in local and international fairs representing the brand Cacao Mae.

Background

Cacao Mae was created by a brother and sister duo from a family with a long history of farming land. Their journey began with a company that advised cocoa manufacturers, where they gained comprehensive knowledge about the cocoa process. During this time, they discovered that the Dominican Republic was one of the first exporters of organic cocoa in the world and is recognised worldwide as one of the best cocoa with excellent aroma. However, it was still difficult to find cocoa on the market without additives and sugar. Founded out of a passion for hot chocolate and the lack of a suitable product on the local market, Cacao Mae became a small, socially responsible family business offering delicious and nutritious certified organic cocoa products without sugars or additives. Finding the right niche between the Dominican public and the international market, the two brothers established this Dominican brand that offers unique Tree to Bar products. The company’s goal is to enhance the true quality of cocoa from the Dominican Republic by developing a brand with high value products that correctly represent Dominican cocoa at an international level.

Position in the market

Cacao Mae’s products stand out in the national and international market, due to their presentation, their ecological products, and the fact that they offer 100% pure Dominican organic cocoa. Consumers highlight that one of the attractions of the brand is that they are buying products directly from the producers without intermediaries or other alterations. From the field to your home.

Relationships with the community

Cacao Mae sources EU and USDA certified organic cocoa from the farms of our producers. Depending on the harvesting season, they are able to identify and harvest the best possible cocoa throughout the year.

To transform the raw material into its unique products, Cacao Mae works its nibs with a group of women from El Corozo, Monte Plata, called “Las Productivas”, and pays a premium price for their labour.

Main products

Cacao Mae currently offers organic cocoa nibs, organic cocoa powder, cocoa butter, cocoa mass and cocoa shells. Natural cocoa is high in nutrients, including antioxidants and vitamins, the products are versatile, and consumers can take advantage of all the benefits of the cocoa fruit. In addition, they are free of gluten, GMOs and trans fats.

Nibs are fermented, dried, roasted and crushed chunks of cocoa beans, which can be consumed directly or as a topping for salads, fruits, yoghurts, smoothies, oatmeal and/or pastries, while cocoa powder can be used for hot chocolate, smoothies, desserts and much more.

Cacao Mae also sells cocoa beans and chocolate ingredients to distributors, chocolatiers, confectioners and other bulk buyers. This includes cocoa butter, cocoa nibs, cocoa paste/liquor, and natural cocoa powder.

Main markets

Cacao Mae’s products can be found in more than 57 outlets in the Dominican Republic, including large supermarkets, shopping centres and airport duty-free shops. The company also sells through Amazon, where US customers can purchase its products. Cacao Mae exports small batches of its products to Switzerland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Uruguay and the United States.

Certifications

Cacao Mae is certified organic by the United States (USDA Organic) and the European Union (EU Organic). The company has also obtained the Food Safety System 22000 certification.

Milestones

The Cacao Mae factory is designed to have a minimal ecological impact. It is equipped with solar panels and its main source of water is rainwater. Taking environmental considerations into account at every stage of production, Cacao Mae strives for sustainable packaging and continuously innovates in the materials used.

Several institutions support the growth of Cacao Mae, such as the Caribbean Export Development Agency and ITC. Currently, they are processing new products such as cocoa butter and cocoa mass, which will allow them to expand its range of products and pack sizes, as well as fill containers more quickly, allowing them to expand to other markets.

Needs for upscaling

At Cacao Mae, the goal has always been to export. It is determined to increase its export portfolio in line with the mission to contribute to the development of the Cacao Mae brand as a brand intimately linked to the Dominican Republic.

Success factors and lessons learned

Cacao Mae has been well received throughout the Dominican Republic, internationally and in the tourism sector. The company participates in local and worldwide fairs to promote its products and network with other members of the sector. Locally, they have participated in the Chocolate and Agroalimentaria Festival and the Feria de Emprendedores (Dominican Republic). They presented their products in Panama at LAC Flavors 2022. They have also travelled to the United States to the Summer Fancy Food Show in 2022, and to the New England Chocolate Festival in 2019, Salon du Chocolat (Paris, 2022) and soon CHOCOA, in the Netherlands, in February 2025. Cacao Mae has received awards such as 3rd place in the 8th Feria de Emprendedores of the Dominican Republic and Pro-Internalizacion award by ProDominicana in Dominican Republic in 2024.

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